GO STEVEN GO! Awesomeness on High

Today, on the eve of the Pikes Peak Ascent I want everyone to send out your bestest, most powerful vibes to my pal, and fellow blogger, Steven, a.k.a. "Smithers," "the Boss," among other aliases. 

Steven is going to spend a lovely Saturday running up a huge mountain, because she can.  Because she is awesome.  I know it's going to hurt.  I know there are going to be times when she goes to the "dark place."

But, I know that she is going to do it.  Because she does everything she sets out to do.  Because she has never once, at least that I know about, not met a challenge she has set out for herself.  Because she is pig headed.  Because she is amazing.  Because this is the last chance to run up Pikes Peak of our senior year, uh, er, I mean, your 30th year.  Because she is awesome.

So, shoot her a text, send her an email, or stop by See Teacher Run and offer a little digital bowing down to Her Royal Highness of Awesome. 

Steven, I salute you!

The End of Slacker Month!

There's just something about doing a workout with the slogan "embrace the suck" that makes a gal want to take a break.

There's just something about blogging in the month of July that also makes a gal want to take a break.

Then again, there's something about an increasingly large beer belly and a decreasing number of clothes that fit that make a gal want to workout again.

And, then again, there's something about walking into your local LBS and getting chastised by your favorite be-hatted mechanic that makes a gal want to blog again. 

This is my tentative attempt to get back into the swing of both.  No details.  Just a little warm up.

So, I decided that July was "slacker" month.  We finished our 12-week "harder to kill" box step of death routine with 10 minutes of sandbag get ups and 1000 weight box steps and some Summer Shandy during the last week of June.  And, the whole crew took a mini-break that following week.

I went to Colorado with the Tiger and the pup in tow and did the Brewery 100.  It. Was. Awesome.  There was surprise followed by surprise; there was beer; and there was the realization that though I could have ridden more miles, I could not drink another malty beverage.  Good to know where those limits are.

All sober smiles at sunny mile 50!

Then, thoughts turned to the RAGBRAI.  After the RAGBRAI everyone asks you about the RAGBRAI.  I don't know what to say?  It was hot?  It was amazing?  It was a building year?  I don't know.  Steven, over at See Teacher Run, and I agreed to a RAGBRAI blog hiatus until, say, January.  I think I will need until then to digest all that happened.

Most of TB RAGBRAI 2012

In both cases, it was great to have the full Team Beaver in operation, rather than year's past when folks have been stymied by knee surgery, lack of vacation time, and demanding infants.

In between those two cycling events, I worked out like twice.  I rode my bike some, and did a few H2K workouts, but mostly I slept in and freaked out about work. 

Now, it is August, and all good slacks must come to an end.  I've been back to H2K and I've embraced the suck.  My quads were stiff all last week.  This week's pain: hamstrings!  But it feels good to be working hard again.

We didn't get registered for the Hy-Vee Triathlon, so that is off the books, but I am tentatively planning to go to the first Bike Iowa cyclocross for beginners clinic in September.  Then, there's the Beaver Dash, and, dare I say it, Survivor Cross in November.  Along the way there are also trips to California, Florida, and Iowa City. 

I was dreading the end of summer, the end of slacker month, but with so much fun on the horizon, I feel the promise of workouts to be sweated through, bikes to be ridden, and blogs to be blogerated.